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The executive leadership of the ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ formally recognized Firefighter Paul A. Wingate with a Certificate of Appreciation at a Fire Commission meeting on Tuesday morning, .   The 18-year LAFD veteran was specifically lauded by the Board of Fire Commissioners, Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas and others at the January 15, 2019 meeting, for his nearly five years of leading LAFD Crew 3, an all volunteer cadre of young men and women who work tirelessly alongside rank-and-file firefighters in the control of wildfire and performance of community service.    Wingate, with an admitted passion for wildland firefighting, joined the U.S. Forest Service apprentice program in 1993, later working on the Los Padres and ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ National Forests as a hotshot firefighter before joining the LAFD in 2000.    At the ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, Wingate quickly became a respected cadet post advisor, with his wildland firefighting roots leading him to attain and maintain the multiple certifications necessary to become an instructor and later Foreman of Crew 3. He has since led the all-volunteer Type II Handcrew safely and effectively in fulfilling the intense demands of wildland training and wildfire operations at more than 50 wildland fires, where they have worked alongside and in support of the LAFD, Los ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ County Fire Department and U.S. Forest Service. Among the scores of blazes where Wingate has led Crew 3 to battle, were the La Tuna and Creek wildfires of 2017, the two largest acreage blazes in our City's history.

In all, Paul has trained, mentored, inspired and guided more than 250 young women and men in wildland firefighting; and as Fire Chief Terrazas highlighted, helped scores of them go on to successful fire service careers.     The selfless commitment Paul has shown to Crew 3 extends beyond his duty days at the LAFD Disaster Response Section. When not working alongside Crew 3 clearing fire roads and fixing storm drains, Wingate works to help others prepare for fire service careers and promotions as an Instructor at East Los ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ College and the LAFD Officers Continuing Education Program.